There is an increasing concern regarding the safe disposal of trash or waste material from a variety of sources. This trash and waste material varies widely in composition and not only is it hazardous in many instances, the by-products of the disposal system may yield material that is infectious, carcinogenic, toxic and pungent, not to mention bulky and unsightly. Incineration of waste material is an attractive alternative as compared to many other processing methods. The incineration process burns combustible materials, producing various by-products. The by-products include an exhaust made of combustible and noncombustible gases, ash and noncombustible residue. In many instances the by products pose greater potential hazards than the original waste material.
The incineration systems presently in use are basically comprised of a primary combustion module (using an oxygen starved atmosphere) and a secondary combustion module (using an oxygen rich atmosphere) sometimes known as the afterburner. There may also be a variety of filters, scrubbers, recirculation pumps, tanks, flues and fans used in connection with the combustion modules to reduce the potentially hazardous by-products.
The problems associated with these standard types of systems are that they require manual control, monitoring and maintenance. In addition, the by-products of these incineration systems are filtration media, ash, air and water that are invariably polluted with the toxic material present in the original waste, and/or with toxic by-products created during the processing. These pollutants end up in either our landfills, which further pollute the ground and ground water supplies, or in the atmosphere. The air vented through the flues and stacks of these incinerators generally contain oxides of nitrogen (NO.sub.x), carbon monoxide (CO), large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), in addition to particulate matter and other trace contaminants.
Aside from any immediate harm, it is believed these contaminants contribute to the long term effects of acid rain and global warming. The current incinerator designs and the inherent problems they produce leave a need for a waste disposal system that effectively reduces waste material to inert or otherwise harmless by-products without adversely effecting the surrounding environment.